Taking a Second Look
by MsBlackOut
Summary: After a false close call, Marinette claimed to love Chat Noir in a bid to divert his attention from her alter ego. With the confusion swept out of the way, she thought things had returned to normal. Yet Chat Noir doesn't seem himself and comes to Marinette with a question he needs answered. (Inspired by S3, may resemble a spoiler).


_I think this is short story number 6, it's almost midnight so my mind is a little sketchy. Wrote this one in about 2 hours, so please be kind..._

* * *

It all started with a misunderstanding. Ladybug's earrings had been down to their final warning and she'd parted ways with Chat Noir. She'd shed her transformation just as her partner appeared and assumptions were made. Marinette believed that Chat Noir was on the verge of putting the pieces together regarding her identity and panicked.

Chat Noir on the other hand was confused as to why Marinette would be in area so fraught with danger and was about to verbalise it when she responded in the most unusual way. The girl had flung herself into his arms and claimed to love him.

This led to a further jumble of confusion which ultimately resulted in a hesitant rejection from Chat Noir to Marinette, claiming that his heart belonged to Ladybug. Marinette had to feign being devasted while balancing it with the fact that she was okay in remaining friends with the superhero. Chat Noir seemed greatly relieved so they'd parted and things returned to normal.

Or so Marinette thought.

Two months later and a strange thing happened. Chat Noir appeared on her balcony with a sheepish tilt to his head. Worrying his nape with a nervous touch of his hand, the hero had bid her a brief hello before vanishing into the night. While it was weird, Marinette didn't give it much consideration.

As Ladybug she noticed Chat Noir was a little standoffish. His flirting seemed forced and his puns even less thought out than usual. As they finished patrol she had placed a hand on his shoulder and he'd practically leapt out of his suit, blushing furiously.

Sitting poised before her sewing machine, Marinette finally identified the emotion that had been shining in his eyes at that moment: guilt. But what did Chat Noir feel guilty about? She was digging through the possibilities when once again, there was a thump on her balcony. Frowning, Marinette rose from her chair and peered up at her skylight.

A shadow with cat shaped ears was looking into her room from that same place. It made her want to buy a blind to cover the glass. Sighing, Marinette climbed up to her bed and opened the skylight to face her partner.

Chat Noir swallowed as they made eye contact and scurried back a few steps to give her room to come out to the balcony. Despite his edginess, he still offered her a hand up.

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

"No good evening, Chat. How are you?" He teased, but there was still a sense of unease about him.

"Fine. How are you, Chat Noir?"

"Not too bad, thanks for asking." His smile showed a quick flash of teeth but his tail swished low and she got the impression of nervousness again.

"What brings you here?"

"Well, I uh, wanted to ask you a question."

Leaning back on the railing, Marinette crossed her arms and replied, "Shoot."

Chat Noir mirrored her stance, leaning on the railing beside her. He let out a sigh and dipped his head as if contemplating his words. "You said before that you love me, right. Well, I was wondering what it was that you found attractive about me?"

Marinette's brow furrowed deeply and her belly coiled. "Um, why do you want to know? Have you changed your mind?"

"No. It's just, I was wondering how I could make myself more appealing to Ladybug. I know that sounds really harsh, since you wanted me and… um. Damn, I shouldn't have said anything." Chat Noir spun on his heel, turning his back on her as he rubbed agitatedly at his masked face.

Dropping her arms to her sides, Marinette took a step towards her partner and placed a hand on his shoulder. "She means that much to you, huh?"

Chat Noir peered over his shoulder at her. "Yes. But it doesn't seem to matter what I do, she always pushes me away."

"Could that be because you don't come across as serious?"

He sniffed. "Possibly. But I have gone for the serious angle, like trying to set up a romantic meeting or offering her a rose but she brushes me off. Saying there's someone else."

Sinking her teeth against her bottom lip, Marinette squeezed his shoulder. "Say there is someone else and she loves them deeply. Would you really want to interfere with that?"

Turning towards her, Chat Noir's face was etched with despondence. "You're saying if I love her, I should set her free." He closed his eyes, his brow taunt with pain. "But I have no one. I'm so alone in my normal life. She's the sun to my day, the moon to my night. I'll wait for her forever but I can't give up. I need her because I love her. To stop loving her would crush me, especially when I have to work with her side by side. I fear she's already out of reach but she's there, and I would rather that than being without her."

Something shifted inside Marinette's heart. His words touched her in way they never had before. This expression of deep yearning for a love he feared he would never have made Marinette realise how truly special her partner was. Here stood Chat Noir, pouring out his heart and he had no idea it was to the girl he longed for.

Without thinking she pulled him into her arms. Embracing him close. Surprise meant his frame was stiff but he soon relaxed into her hold and sighed. Stroking his hair, Marinette continued to sooth. "You'll be alright, Chat Noir. Whatever happens. Ladybug cares for you. You are her partner and you're important to her. Don't you ever forget that."

"I know and I won't."

"Good," she said as she drew back to look at him. Seeing him with eyes that never fully appreciated the boy before her. Marinette was awakened to something different in Chat Noir. An element she'd quietly dismissed. Her partner's sincerity was often disguised by his humour. Perhaps it was a defence mechanise to protect feelings that were more fragile than she'd ever assumed. She realised she misinterpreted his earlier expression, it wasn't guilt he unwillingly expressed but unrequited love.

Knowing he had this vulnerability somehow made him more attractive. It stirred to life a feeling Marinette had only known with one other. A burning admiration began to kindle. A flame that would bridge a gap she didn't know existed. Unknowingly, Marinette began to love the other half of Adrien Agreste.

* * *

 **There was probably too much telling and not enough painting with words but I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know your thoughts in the review box below.**

 **Thanks for reading and your support!**


End file.
